Combined seal and damper for vertically orientated woofer module

Abstract

A unitary elastomeric structure comprising: an annular body having an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body, wherein the annular sealing structure is concentric with and radially within the annular channel; and a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein each grommet has opposing upper and lower surfaces and a bore extending through the grommet between the upper and lower surfaces.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. Speaker components comprising:
 a unitary elastomeric structure comprising:
 an annular body having an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body, wherein the annular sealing structure has a c-shaped cross-section and is concentric with and radially within the annular channel; and 
 a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein each grommet has opposing upper and lower surfaces and a bore extending through the grommet between the upper and lower surfaces; and 
 
 a low frequency driver having a diaphragm coupled to an annular flange having an outer perimeter disposed within the annular channel. 
 
     
     
       2. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein the c-shaped cross-section of the annular sealing structure faces outward in a direction opposite that of the annular channel. 
     
     
       3. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein each grommet includes a first plurality of teeth distributed radially about its upper surface. 
     
     
       4. The speaker components set forth in  claim 3  wherein each grommet further includes a second plurality of teeth distributed radially about its lower surface. 
     
     
       5. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein each grommet has a height, extending between its upper and lower surfaces, that is greater than a thickness of the annular body. 
     
     
       6. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein each grommet has a collar indentation aligned with the annular channel and extending around at least three sides of the grommet. 
     
     
       7. The speaker components set forth in  claim 1  wherein the annular channel has a rear surface opposite an annular opening of the channel that is interrupted at each grommet such that the annular channel has open regions extending a set distance to left and right sides of each grommet. 
     
     
       8. A unitary elastomeric structure comprising:
 an annular body having an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body, wherein the annular sealing structure has a c-shaped cross-section and is concentric with and radially within the annular channel; 
 a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein each grommet has opposing upper and lower surfaces and a bore extending through the grommet between the upper and lower surfaces; and 
 an annular speaker surround extending inward from the annular body and defining a central opening, the annular speaker surround having an annular arched portion disposed between the central opening and the annular body. 
 
     
     
       9. A speaker comprising:
 a speaker housing defining an interior cavity, the speaker housing having at least first and second housing portions coupled together to define at least a portion of the interior cavity; 
 a unitary elastomeric structure comprising an annular body and a plurality of grommets disposed radially around and integrally formed with the annular body, wherein the annular body has an inward facing annular channel formed in an upper portion of the body and an annular sealing structure formed in a lower portion of the body that has a c-shaped cross-section and is concentric with and radially within the annular channel, and wherein each grommet in the plurality of grommets has a bore extending between opposing upper and lower surfaces; 
 a low frequency driver having a diaphragm coupled to an annular flange having an outer perimeter disposed within the annular channel, wherein the low frequency driver is oriented vertically within the interior cavity such that the diaphragm and annular flange are perpendicular to a longitudinal axis of the speaker; and 
 a plurality of fasteners that couple the first housing portion to the second housing portion, wherein each fastener in the plurality of fasteners extends through the bore of one of the grommets in the plurality of grommets and compresses its respective grommet between the first and second housing portions. 
 
     
     
       10. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein the speaker housing further includes a third housing portion with the first housing portion being an upper housing portion, the second housing portion being a middle housing portion and the third housing portion being a lower housing portion. 
     
     
       11. The speaker set forth in  claim 10  wherein the annular sealing structure is compressed between a lower surface of the annular flange and a shelf of the middle housing portion. 
     
     
       12. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein the second housing portion includes a plurality of mounting structures extending upward towards the first housing portion and located in an annular arrangement, wherein each mounting structure is aligned with one of the grommets in the plurality of grommets and sized and shaped to fit within the bore of its respective grommet. 
     
     
       13. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  further comprising an array of audio drivers arranged radially around a central longitudinal axis of the speaker. 
     
     
       14. The speaker set forth in  claim 13  wherein each audio driver in the array of audio drivers is a mid or high frequency driver. 
     
     
       15. The speaker set forth in  claim 13  wherein the low frequency driver is disposed above the array of audio drivers. 
     
     
       16. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein further comprising an annular foam ring disposed between first and second opposing surfaces of the annular c-shaped sealing structure. 
     
     
       17. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein each grommet has a height, extending between its upper and lower surfaces, that is greater than a thickness of the annular body. 
     
     
       18. The speaker set forth in  claim 9  wherein each grommet has a collar indentation aligned with the annular channel and extending around at least three sides of the grommet.